The five essentials to a good open home

You’ve beaten your competition to list a property and got it on the market, but just because the for sale sign is out the front and your listing is online and in the paper, your work is far from done.

The inspection is the make or break part, where the image seen online or on the pretty placard on the front fence is tested out by potential buyers, and if the home doesn’t live up to it, you can forget about making a sale.

Hire professionals

Getting a professional stylist in can help provide objective advice to vendors on how to best present their home for its campaign.

“They might take an hour or so walking through with vendors, they’ll put furniture in different places, use cushions and blankets, and spend time with vendors giving them advice and tips,” says Royston.

Sometimes an external party is required to help clients understand that no matter how adorable their children are, prospective buyers don’t want to see them.

“Often everything’s already been presented really well and they’ve gotten rid of clutter, but often it’s about taking away personal items as well so people can come and visualise their own items in the house,” says Royston.

It is important to help clients understand why they should be taking down their family photos, children’s paintings on the fridge, and anything else that makes their house identifiably “theirs”.

Ask your vendors to make themselves scarce

It’s also wise to advise vendors to make themselves scarce for inspections – and that includes the pet dog, cat or guinea pig (the goldfish can probably stay).

“We could have 25 or 40 groups through, so up to a 100 people sometimes coming to an inspection at any one time,” says Royston.

That means there’s barely space for the vendor and their family to loiter as well. Occasionally, sticking around is a “good process”, says Royston – vendors can get valuable feedback on their home and are on hand to answer questions, but it can be fraught with peril. What if they ask a prickly question about what the neighbours are like (loud, obnoxious) and your clients have a terrible poker face? Or if they make an insensitive comment about the home that vendors might take to heart?

Often it’s best to get the sellers out of the way and get the place looking as pristine as possible, just as when you were preparing it for the photo shoot – with a few additional items to tick off the list.

The great (clean) outdoors

It is also wise to advise clients to pay more attention to the outdoors. Move cars out of the driveway and down the street, suggests Mark Eddy of Hodges Mentone. A lot of it’s pretty obvious stuff – mow the lawn, take the washing off the line, rake leaves, weed the garden and move bins out of the way. Take the creepy crawly out of the pool if there is one. But they’ll also want to check outdoor lights – these might be tested – and make sure all indoor lights and lamps are working while they’re at it.

“Get the windows cleaned,” says Royston, “and if you’re selling in summer have the air-con on, or turn the heaters on if it’s winter. If you’ve got an open fireplace, use it! It’s about utilising all the facilities a home has.” And don’t forget to open all the blinds and shutters – let the light in.

Throughout the house, decluttering continues, so no dirty towels or shampoo bottles in the shower and make sure all beds are immaculately made and keep toys etc in children’s rooms to a minimum.

“In the kitchen, magnets need to be taken off the fridge, bins emptied and benches cleared as much as possible,” says Eddy.

Engage the senses

Engage all the senses, too – remember the aim is to make the house feel as homely as possible.

“Scents and smells are really important,” says Royston.

“Whether it’s candles or if it’s an early morning inspection, baking muffins before [the vendors] leave, or making sure you’ve bought some fresh flowers,” she says.

A silent house lacks mood, so she suggests some jazz or easy listening music. If the listing has got a big-screen TV or entertaining area, Eddy suggests putting something kid-friendly on to entertain any children who might have tagged along to the inspection.

“It’s the little things that do make all the difference,” says Royston.

Be safe

Instruct the sellers to ensure they haven’t left valuables lying around, and make sure the house is free of hazards – the last thing you need is someone sustaining an injury while inspecting your home.

These standards may need to be maintained for some weeks while inspections are going on – you need to be as flexible as possible in terms of appointment times, and have your house as close to ready as possible at all times in the event of last-minute inspections. “It can be difficult,” admits Royston. “It’s a pretty intense period. But it will all pay off in the end.”